3/10/2019 0 Comments Reflective Journal #8At first glance, I saw worth and value as the same thing. Many would equate something’s worth as equal to its value; however, I don’t think this is always true. I think worth better represents a monetary construct. I believe one’s worth as an athletic trainer is how much he or she believes they should get paid based on what they bring to the table. I believe value encompasses worth, but also accounts for more abstract concepts. For example, one’s expertise in ACL injuries, one’s ability to perform administration tasks, or other credentials outside the ATC could all contribute to one’s value. I think it becomes a sticky situation when we base all of our ideas of our own worth off someone else’s opinion. If I were to let the website that told me that my job was similar to that of a lifeguard (not saying they are not important), my opinion of my training and my profession would drop considerably. Unfortunately, I feel that in many positions, someone who doesn’t understand the VALUE of an athletic trainer is making the decision about the monetary WORTH of an athletic trainer. I think we often times cut ourselves short because other people have cut us short for so long because of a lack of knowledge about what we do and what we are capable of.
I feel that it is very important that we educate ourselves about our value by comparing what we can do to that of other professions, and by doing so, I feel like we will have a greater understanding of our worth. I know that doing the worth assessment in O&A last semester truly opened my eyes to how underpaid and under appreciated our profession is. By simply being there to provide an ankle tap, we are saving our institution a substantial amount of money. So, I believe the first step in bettering this profession is having a realistic understanding of our value and how much our services are worth. Secondly, I believe that we should work to educate employers on the benefit of what we do. If they realize how helpful we can be to their establishment, how much money we could end up saving them, and how much happier and safer their other employees are, then we have a real case to present them with. However, presenting this takes time and effort, but in the end if it gets me the job, I’m willing to do it.
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April 2019
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